Individual Championships

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I do still intend to create an Excel-based archive of league results, but since that still hasn’t quite happened, what you see here is a snapshot of the main league website as it appeared on 17th September 2012, right before I deleted everything to make way for the 2012-13 season.

Wherever you see “Posted by Chris W”, that’s me, Chris Wardle, the League Conductor.

There are two matches remaining in Division 2, both scheduled for the coming week.

On Wednesday 25th, Gateshead A play Alnwick needing a win to snatch the second promotion slot away from Tynemouth Castles. At the same time, Alnwick will be looking to put some daylight between themselves and Jesmond Wasps at the bottom of the table.

On Friday 27th, the Wasps travel to Forest Hall B. Surpass Alnwick’s result and they will overtake Alnwick; win and they will leapfrog their clubmates the Sharks.

For the avoidance of doubt, this was a default conceded by Leam Lane rather than imposed by Tynedale. The Comets wished to decline promotion in any event, and so once they failed in their title bid, this match became a dead rubber.

They went into tonight’s match knowing that even a 3-2 defeat would seal the title, but they had the decency to do it with a 3½-1½ win. Congratulations to all my Jesmond Rookies team-mates that I haven’t already congratulated personally – I think we all coped admirably well with being by far the highest-graded team in the division!

It’s all over for the Northumbria League’s unluckiest team. They scored a creditable draw with Gosforth to give themselves a fighting chance of staying in Division 1, but defeating the Hobbits was too tall an order. One wonders what might have been if they had managed to hold on to Alex Ashworth and Jeremy Handley from their promotion-winning team.

So three of the four teams that moved divisions last summer are now back where they started. Can Tynemouth Castles grab the second promotion place in Division 2 and complete the set?

Amidst all the excitement going on at the Division 1 summit, a special mention must go to the Northumbria League’s newest club. They have put their yo-yo days firmly behind them, rounding off their best ever season with a victory over 2009 champions Jesmond. Congratulations to this season’s 4th place finishers, Gosforth Empire.

Tonight Newcastle host Leam Lane Aces with the league’s top prize at stake. If Leam Lane win or draw, they take the title. If Newcastle win, their fate is back in their own hands.

Your webmaster will be attending the match and providing regular Twitter updates as the action unfolds. You can either follow @NCALeague directly, or stay on this site and watch the Twitter feed entitled “Newcastle vs. Leam Lane” that has magically appeared at the top of the left-hand panel.

Newcastle’s draw with Morpeth A has created an interesting situation at the top of Division 1. Newcastle will need to beat Leam Lane Aces to take the title – we’ve known that since approximately the beginning of the season. Thanks to their two draws, Newcastle will also need to win their rearranged match against Forest Hall A. And there is an extra proviso: for every game point Newcastle concede to Leam Lane, they must score two against Forest Hall. That’s in order to draw level with Leam Lane and force a playoff to decide the title – exceed that target, and they take the title outright.

For example, a 3-2win for Newcastle against Leam Lane would leave Newcastle needing a 4-1 win against Forest Hall for a playoff, or a 4½-½ score to win it.

South Shields’ fleeting visit to Division 1 is over. They were unable to hold their promotion-winning team together beyond a couple of early-season draws, and their new-look side have had an unfortunate tendency to lose matches 5-0. The club have a good record of attracting newcomers to league chess, and hopefully their most recent arrivals will find Division 2 a more forgiving environment in which to hone their skills.

Above them, Morpeth B look like needing a win and draw from their remaining fixtures against Gosforth Empire and Tynemouth Hobbits, if they are to avoid the same fate.

Jesmond Rookies have clinched promotion back to Division 1 at the first time of asking.

Two wins in four days against both Gateshead teams left them well ahead of the chasing pack, and their ascent was confirmed last night without them pushing a pawn when Tynedale Reivers’ mathematical title hopes were extinguished at Alnwick.

The Rookies now have two bites at the title cherry: avoiding defeat against Forest Hall B next Friday, or against their sole remaining rivals Leam Lane Comets on April 3rd, will see them crowned champions.